Dexter
is on his boat (the aptly named "Slice of Life"), about to head
out to sea to intercept one of his victims: Ethan Turner, a wife-killer
who is on a cruise ship headed to Bimini.

Miguel
Prado who has been persistent in trying to become Dexter's friend (despite
Dexter's obvious reluctance) shows up unexpectedly at the boat, just as
Dexter is about to shove off.

He
tells Dexter that Rita told his wife that Dexter was going fishing, and
Prado isn't very subtle about trying to wrangle an invitation from Dexter
to go along. When that doesn't work, he suggests they go grab something
to eat before Dexter's trip. Dexter declines, saying he can't leave his
stuff on the boat.

Prado
then asks where the fish are biting. Dexter says he's headed up north
to Mercy Reef. So Prado gives up, helps untie Dexter's boat, and
waves goodbye as Dexter sets sail.

(They
then cut to some old footage, from the first season, of Dexter on his boat
in the real Miami.)

Dexter
boards the cruise ship at Bimini, quickly kills Turner in his cabin, then
heads home.

In
his absence, Rita has a medical emergency, and no one can find Dexter,
since he's out on his boat. Prado sends the Coast Guard out to look for
him at Mercy Reef, but he's not there.

Later,
we see him returning on his boat to the same dock. It's night, and
the city skyline (and bridge) is glowing in the background.

Later,
Prado visits him at Rita's and tells him that he knows about what happened
to Ethan Turner, and that he is proud of him. Dexter denies any involvement,
but secretly wonders if there could actually be a future for he & Prado
as friends.

Q.
What is it actually in real life?

A. A small dock
next to a seaside hotel.

Q.
Where can I find it in real life?

A. This
scene was shotat a small dock/marina on the northeast (water) side
of the Hotel Maya,
at 700 Queensway Drive,in Long Beach, CA.

(It's
the very same dock they used as Doakes' dock
in the previous season.)

The
dock is located near the south end of the hotel, and is also visible from
cars driving on Queensway Drive.

That
hotel is located right on the water, just southeast of the southwest end
of the Queensway Bridge, just north
of the Queen Mary. It has a fine view, across the river, of Shoreline Park
and the downtown Long Beach skyline.

The
hotel itself can be reached either by taking the Long Beach (710) Freeway
to it's south end, or from downtown Long Beach by taking the Queensway
Bridge across the river. Once at the hotel, you'll find a scenic walkway
running along the water on its east side. Walk south down this path, and
you'll soon see the dock on your left side.

They
shot several other season 2 scenes at the Hotel Maya, including the scene
where Dexter & Lila have drinks at a sunny, poolside
cafe, the scene where the same duo has a night time dinner at a fancy
restaurant, a scene where Debra & Lundy stroll &
talk, and a scene that is supposed to be outside the police station.

And
just to the north are the launch ramps where they filmed the crime scene
on the rocky breakwater.

If
you plan to visit, be warned that the hotel can be rather difficult to
reach. It's basically at the end of the 710 (Long Beach) Freeway, but the
main roads leading on and off that dock offer little access to the hotel.
For that, you have to turn off on a small, winding side road known
as Queensway Drive. Be sure to study a map of the area before you
go.

A. I had
found this location for last season's scene where Doakes shot a guy, and
had visited it in person to shoot the photos above. So I simply recognized
it when I saw it again. The hotel is clearly visible behind Prado in the
scenes, as is the Long Beach skyline and the Queens
Way bridge (seen behind Dexter when he's on the boat). There's also
several good shots of Parker's Lighthouse restaurant in the background
behind Dexter.